Starting Friday, the largest tornado research project will touch down in Norman, Okla., this time with the participation of one Lenovo.

The company announced Thursday that it has partnered with the nonprofit Center for Severe Weather Research to power advanced levels in tornado and severe weather research. This is part of a $11.9 million nomadic project called Vortex2, during which CSWR will use more than 50 pieces of Think-branded PC equipment.

vortex2.org

The equipment includes ThinkPad notebooks, ThinkCenter desktops, ThinkVision monitors, and IdeaPad S10 Netbooks. They will be used to help track and store radar data, guide vehicles in the storm, provide weather briefings, and analyze information for future use.

Based in Boulder, Colo., the CSWR conducts ongoing research on tornadoes, hurricanes, and severe weather. With Vortex2, the team will work in the field in "tornado alley" for several weeks to study why some thunderstorms produce tornadoes while others don't. The efforts will hopefully help researchers better predict future tornadoes' intensity, duration, and path.

Other than Lenovo, Vortex2 includes a diversity of governmental, academic, nonprofit and international organizations including the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. More than 100 scientists will participate in the field study, which will span 500,000 square miles across parts of seven states. They will use more than 40 specially designed vehicles and 70 pieces of weather equipment to get close to the eye of a storm.

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CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He now manages CNET San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D printers, networking/storage devices, and also writes about other topics from online security to new gadgets and how technology impacts the life of people around the world.
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